Hakone Zendo
Zazen Meditation in Saratoga, California
Embrace the Calmness
Find your peace in Silicon Valley
Zazen: Accessible, Challenging, and Profound
Zazen might sound intimidating at first, but it’s a practice that’s both accessible and surprisingly natural. While there’s always room to learn and refine your technique, the essence of zazen is simple. As a Zen saying goes, “We are always beginning again.” This ongoing practice allows us to cultivate focus and inner peace, no matter our experience level.
Experience
Zen meditation has been around for centuries, helping people find peace and focus. Join us to explore this ancient practice in a tranquil environment. We follow the Rinzai tradition, known for its emphasis on mindfulness and present-moment awareness. Our students get together to meditate on Sundays.
Calm
Feeling overwhelmed? Discover peace at our zazen-kai meditation session. Surrounded by the gentle chirps of birds and the soothing sounds of a waterfall, you’ll enter a serene environment perfect for meditation.
Unity
Experience the power of collective meditation. Join us weekly as we come together to meditate and exchange thoughts.
Why people want to meditate with us?
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Great place to reset my mind. Group meditation is a lot easier than doing it alone.
K.K
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Improve myself, my ability to manage my mind and my emotions.
A.G.
From our student sharing blog
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I vow to care for them all
Shared by Ann Ann highlights the vow, “Beings are numberless, I vow to care for them all,” and argues that it applies to everyone, regardless of their spiritual path. Ann emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between gentleness and strictness, drawing on the concept of the “middle way.” She encourages mindfulness, understanding the situation,…
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The Han: A Reminder to Be Present
Shared by Ann Photo of our han with rev Ito in 2019 Have you ever noticed the han (hanging wood board) that is suspended near the entrance of the our zendo? When we begin our zazen, we strike this han with a mallet. Ann provided some insights into the significance of the han and the…
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What is Zen?
Shared by Linu It has been more than a decade since I first encountered the word Zen. Over the years, I have heard this term in numerous contexts: design, art, meditation, Steve Jobs, and more. And yet when I ask myself to define what it is, I fail to put a finger on it. This unsettled…
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Three Good Things
(Photo by Reni) Shared by Anand These are excerpts from the Book: The Best Team Wins, by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton (Page 233) Three Good Things Martin Seligman, a psychology professor at University of Pennsylvania, developed many of the ideas used today in the field of positive psychology. He suggested an exercise called “Three…
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Might As Well…
Shared by Kaz How do you motivate yourself to overcome challenges? Any special tactics? Personally, I train for triathlons every year, and the January training can be a real struggle. It’s cold, often rainy, and still dark in the mornings. Whenever I get ready for training, my mind starts coming up with excuses – maybe…
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Zen and Excitement
Shared by Aaron on 1/28/24 From Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki “Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine. If you become too busy and too excited, your mind becomes rough and ragged. This is not good. If possible, try to be always calm and joyful and keep…
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Zen Study
Shared by Taylor on 1/21/24 Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki: “If you continue this special practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after you attain it, it is nothing special.” Dogen: “Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after…
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Mindfulness & Present Moment–
Shared by Peter on 1/14/24 Through meditation, we practice mindfulness. So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a skill that involves focusing attention on the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or thinking about the future. When I learnt practicing meditation for the first time, I was told to be mindful of my breathing–breathe in and breathe…
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